About the Author

“You really have two choices when it comes to dealing with tragedy; you can let the grief consume you and ruin your life altogether, or you can chose to survive it and become a stronger, better person because of what you have been through. As for me, I choose the latter,” says Scalise.

Jennifer is a devoted, single mother who resides in St. Charles, Missouri with her two children, Blake (18) and Paige (9). Despite enduring such a tragic loss, through her new found faith, Jennifer has gone on to find miraculous peace. She slowly overcame harrowing challenges and transformed her life. After 20 years dedicated to a career as Vice President/Sales for a fortune 500 company, in 2012, she left it behind and now devotes her life to helping others.

Jennifer strives to help others understand that ultimately it is your disposition, not the circumstance, that determines how hardship and tragedy affect your life. Your perception of life often changes after enduring hardship. This is key. Your mindset plays as crucial a role in your future and happiness as does the event itself. Scalise says she views hardship as merely an opportunity for our souls to grow in this classroom of life.

Jennifer brought to life the Brooke Scalise Foundation, a nonprofit organization that focuses on increasing the faith in junior high school-aged children by providing church camp scholarships to a diverse group of youth in honor of Brooke. To date, the foundation has awarded almost 200 scholarships. Alongside her efforts in building awareness regarding the dangers of traveling to third world countries, Scalise is an active member of Concerned Families for ATV Safety and continues to share her strength with others who have lost a loved one through various national and regional grief organizations.

Jennifer has always had tremendous passion for leading and inspiring, as such her career has always centered on doing so. Although she no longer leads as an executive in the corporate world, her chosen path still focuses on inspiring others. She strives to help others suffering hardship find their faith. She says there is no greater peace than that which comes with from knowing with certainty that our loved ones live on with us spiritually and that life is indeed eternal. Having grown in her faith through this experience has given her tremendous strength to step outside her comfort zone and live a life unlike any she could have ever before imagined.

Happiness after tragedy is very possible, but you have to want to be happy and that takes effort, stresses Scalise. “It saddens me to see the painful place many suffering loss or hardship are stuck in. I know the pain and how bad it hurts. I have been there. I want to help lift others from that awful place. I know this journey is not easy, but if they want to, they can actually emerge as someone better because of what they have been through. I want to do all I can to help them not only survive loss or difficult times, but go on to love life again and hopefully, with a renewed sense of purpose and deeper appreciation.

She says, “The loss of my daughter has changed my life forever, but our souls will always remain united. I have found peace and gained a better understanding of the meaning of life. I will make the most of my life and continue to grow and appreciate life with my other precious children. I find peace and comfort in knowing someday we will all be reunited again for eternity.”

Scalise indicates she views life much differently now than she did before. She says she is much more aware of the good that comes forth as a result of our suffering; how suddenly, we care to help one another, to be kinder, to make God a priority in our lives. She feels that possibly, this is the very reason why we must endure hardship in life. She tries to help others also perceive hardship as an opportunity for our souls to grow.

“I know I am a better person because of what I have been through. I have changed my life drastically. I have given up an executive career and dedicate my time to helping others and feel extremely fulfilled and rewarded by it. I have learned to love in a new way that is much deeper than ever before. I appreciate the little things in life and cherish each moment. I understand just how fragile life is. I laugh louder, love deeper, and forgive faster. I feel more alive and notice God’s beauty surrounding me in a way I could have never imagined. I am truer to my own soul and nurture it in a way that I never before understood.” says Scalise.

Scalise is an experienced public speaker/media guest. She has been interviewed on ABC’s Brian Ross Investigates, Good Morning America, World News with Diane Sawyer, Nightline and more.